Department for Transport

Passports: South Africa

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any representations from (1) Ryanair, or (2) any other interested parties, concerning the compatibility of that airline's requirement for South African passport holders to take an Afrikaans language test, with (a) entry requirements, and (b) anti-discrimination legislation.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The recent language test requirement for passengers travelling with Ryanair is not a UK Government requirement. The FCDO’s Post in South Africa has confirmed this via its social media channels and has been in touch with South Africa’s Department for International Relations and Cooperation. My officials have engaged with Ryanair on this matter and they have since confirmed that the language test is no longer in use.

Ryanair

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to Ryanair about that company's practice of requiring South African nationals to fill in questionnaires in Afrikaans before boarding flights in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The recent language test requirement for passengers travelling with Ryanair was not a UK Government requirement. My officials have engaged with Ryanair on this matter and they have since confirmed that the language test is no longer in use.

Cycling and Walking: Urban Areas

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they used to support the claim made in their Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener, published on19 October 2021, that 42 per cent of journeys in towns and cities were made by cycling and walking in 2019.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The data comes from the National Travel Survey: an annual, nationally representative survey which measures how people travel across England. The figure was based on analysis of the proportion of short trips (that is, those under 5 miles) that were taken across town and city settlements, as classified by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy Bills Rebate

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Contracts for Difference Scheme will contribute to the EnergyBill Support Scheme in its first year of operation.

Lord Callanan: Funding for the Energy Bills Support Scheme is provided by HM Treasury. It is not provided by the Contracts for Difference scheme, which is the Government’s primary method for supporting new low-carbon electricity generation projects in Great Britain.

Energy Transition Council

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Energy Transition Council has met since COP26; and if so, which nations attended.

Lord Callanan: The Energy Transition Council (ETC) met on Tuesday 24 May 2022, for its fifth Ministerial dialogue, chaired by the UK. Egypt, Kenya, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Indonesia, Morocco, Laos PDR, Philippines and Germany were represented at Ministerial and senior official level.

Energy Transition Council

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress the Energy Transition Council has made towards its objectives.

Lord Callanan: The Energy Transition Council’s objective is to support countries to accelerate their clean energy transition, including through national and Ministerial dialogues. The Council has mobilised assistance in the eleven Energy Transition Council partner countries including through its Rapid Response Facility, which is already responding to over twenty requests, with additional requests in the pipeline for 2022. As a result of these efforts, the Government has seen partner countries commit to raising ambition in their clean energy transition, including through declarations at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow.

Energy Transition Council

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to promote wider membership of the Energy Transition Council, in particular to include more African nations.

Lord Callanan: The Energy Transition Council currently works with eleven developing partner countries across Asia and Africa, including Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and Kenya to accelerate their clean energy transitions. The Council’s mandate will continue to 2025, supported by a strategic partnership with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, which will allow for the expansion of the Council’s work and for wider membership, including from African nations.

Manufacturing Industries: Electricity

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make (1) steelmakers, and (2) other industrial manufacturers, exempt from network charges to ensure continued production.

Lord Callanan: As set out in the British Energy Security Strategy, the Government recognises that UK industrial electricity prices are higher than those of other countries. The Government committed to extend the EII Compensation Scheme for a further 3 years and intend to increase the aid intensity to up to 100% (1.5% of GVA). The Government is also considering a range of other measures which might be able to support these businesses.

Power Failures

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contingency plans they have in place in the event of energy blackouts in the UK in the forthcoming winter.

Lord Callanan: Great Britain has one of the most reliable energy systems in the world. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy works closely with network operators, the regulator Ofgem and other stakeholders to ensure that the appropriate technical measures are able to be deployed throughout the year, to ensure the integrity of the energy system.

Northern Ireland Office

Ministry of Defence and Northern Ireland Office: Civil Proceedings

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new civil suits against (1) the Northern Ireland Office, and (2) the Ministry of Defence, relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles were filed in the Northern Ireland courts in the week ending 21 May.

Lord Caine: The Northern Ireland Office has contacted the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) who are the relevant body. NICTS stated that cases are not categorised on receipt and as such they are unable to provide figures on the number of civil claims filed relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles in the week ending 21 May. I can however confirm that four Writs relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles and filed in the period in question have been served on the Northern Ireland Office to date. The Northern Ireland Office does not hold information on the number of Writs served on others (including other Government departments).

Department of Health and Social Care

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of alcohol on health inequalities; and what steps they are taking to reduce alcohol’s role as a significant driver of health inequalities.

Lord Kamall: Individuals from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely experience greater levels of alcohol-related harm compared to higher socioeconomic groups, including alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths. Through the 10-year drug strategy, the Government has invested £532 million into rebuilding local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England. All local areas will receive additional funds through a phased approach according to need, with 50 of the most deprived areas receiving a greater share of the funding in 2022/23. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we have invested £27 million to establish specialist Alcohol Care Teams in the 25% of hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol-mortality and deprivation.Since 2020/21, the Government has also provided £50.4 million to provide substance misuse treatment services for people sleeping rough through the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant. The Government will provide additional investment of up to £186.5 million during the current Spending Review period, including £15 million announced through the cross-Government drugs strategy.

Hereditary Angioedema: Diagnosis and Medical Treatments

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in England have been diagnosed with and are receiving treatment for hereditary angioedema.

Lord Kamall: The information requested is not held centrally. However, a survey of centres providing care for people with hereditary angioedema (HAE) in the last three years conducted by the HAE community found that there were approximately 1,150 patients in England, with 90% of centres responding.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what budgetthey haveset for the purchase of new Antiviral or Monoclonal Antibody drug treatments for COVID-19, including (1) those under current review like Evusheld, and (2) those under future review by the COVID-19 Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce; and if these should prove efficacious in the protection of immunosuppressed patients,whether this funding will be sufficient to meet current supply needs.

Lord Kamall: There is currently no funding allocated for these treatments. Funding for additional procurement of novel treatments is considered on a case-by-case basis, as guided by clinical need and subject to business cases and due process.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they areconsidering the purchase of the Monoclonal Antibody drug Beblitovimab; and other than Evusheld,whether theyhave any similar drugs under consideration.

Lord Kamall: The Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce is working with the RAPID C-19 Collaborative to review clinical trials data for COVID-19 treatments. Bebtelovimab and other monoclonal antibodies are being reviewed as part of this process. However, Bebtelovimab has not received regulatory approval in the United Kingdom and therefore is not currently being considered for procurement.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any delay in purchasing drugs such as Evusheld or Beblitovimab is because of budget limitations; and whether theyare will now allocate funding to purchase these new treatments.

Lord Kamall: COVID-19 treatments must be effective against the currently circulating variants in the United Kingdom and be granted marketing authorisation prior to procurement. Evusheld was granted conditional marketing authorisation in March 2022. However, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency raised uncertainty on the dosage required for protection against the Omicron variant. The UK Health Security Agency is currently undertaking further testing on Evusheld’s effectiveness against Omicron. While the data for Beblitovimab shows efficacy against the Omicron variants currently circulating, the treatment has not received marketing authorisation in the UK.There is currently no funding allocated for these treatments. However, funding for additional procurement of novel treatments is considered on a case-by-case basis, as guided by clinical need and subject to business cases and due process.

Department for Education

Schools: Racial Discrimination

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require schools to implement anti-racist policies.

Baroness Barran: There is no place for racism in our education system and schools have an important role in preparing pupils for life in modern Britain, by supporting them to understand the society in which they grow up in and teaching about respect for other people and difference.The department has no plans to place specific requirements on schools, but we expect them to take steps to tackle racist and discriminatory attitudes or incidents and condemn racism within the school and wider society. Challenging intolerant, racist or discriminatory views, where these are shared at school, should be seen as part of schools’ wider anti-bullying and safeguarding duties.Further to this, relationships education is now compulsory in all schools and the relationships, sex and health education curriculum has a strong focus on equality, respect, the harmful impact of stereotyping, as well as the importance of valuing difference.Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the act. State-funded schools are also subject to the public sector equality duty. The department has published guidance for schools to help them comply with their duties, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools.

Home Education: Registration

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children they estimate will be included in the registers proposed under clause 48 of the Schools Bill [HL].

Baroness Barran: The proposed Children Not In School registers are intended to help with the identification of children being educated otherwise than at school and, in particular, those who are currently children missing education.At present, there is no accurate picture of how many of these children there are at a local or national level. The introduction of the registers should, however, help to address this.In the latest Association of Directors of Children's Services annual survey (in 2021), they estimated that approximately 81,000 children across all 152 local authorities in England were electively home-educated on school census day, 7 October 2021. The department would therefore anticipate, at least, similar numbers of children coming within scope of the registers.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Females

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether their policy of housing of transgender women prisoners in female prisons takes sufficient account of the interests of female prisoners.

Lord Bellamy: The interests of other prisoners are considered in every decision about where to allocate transgender prisoners. As set out in the ‘Care and management of individuals who are transgender’ Policy Framework, any decision must include a rigorous assessment of any risk of harm which the transgender individual may present to others, as well as any risk to the transgender individual of self-harm and/or harm from others. We are reviewing this framework currently, and as part of this process have consulted with various groups to assess the effectiveness of its implementation. We will be updating on the outcomes of this review once it has concluded later this year.

Prison Officers

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of the levels of (1) retention, and (2) cumulative experience, of prison officers.

Lord Bellamy: HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) does not have a standard definition of ‘retention rates’, however we do publish information on leaving rates which can be used as a proxy. The leaving rate is the number of staff who have left the department in the previous 12 months divided by the average number of staff in post over the same period.In the 12 months to 31 March 2022, the leaving rate for Band 3 Prison Officers, Band 4 Supervising Officers/Prison Officer specialists and Band 5 Custodial Managers was 14.5%.Band 3 to 5 covers all operational grades including all Prison Officers.As at 31 March 2022, there were 22,002 FTE band 3-5 prison officers in post who together held a cumulative length of service of 238,195 years. In terms of headcount, there are 22,972 prison officers and so this gives an average of 10.4 years per prison officer.A full breakdown of prison officer numbers by length of service is published in Table 4 of HMPPS workforce Statistics bulletin, the March 2022 publication is available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/her-majestys-prison-and-probation-service-workforce-quarterly-march-2022. Figures have been reproduced below.Table 1: HMPPS staff by length of service, for Band 3-5 Prison Officers as at 31 March 2022(Full Time Equivalent)GradeCompleted years of service31-Mar-2022Band 3-5 Officers03,272 11,715 21,432 32,522 42,425 5-92,581 10-141,639 15-192,670 20-241,344 25-291,131 30+1,272Total 22,002

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: ICT

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatrecent assessment they have made of the effect of the HM Courts and Tribunal Service Common Platform roll-out on (1) the delivery of justice, and (2) staff morale.

Lord Bellamy: I refer the noble Lady to the answer given to PQ HL203 on 26 May 2022.

Education: Pay

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatcomparative assessment they have made of the levels of pay of education staff (1) working in prisons, and (2) not working in prisons.

Lord Bellamy: I refer the noble Lady to the answer given to the noble Lord, Lord Jones of Cheltenham, on 26 May 2022 (UIN: HL205).

Judges: Training

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether thespecialist digital training on domestic abuse launched by the Judicial College in October 2021 for all family judges, including Recorders and Deputy District Judges, is compulsory; and if so, how often family judges must take that training.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the rollout ofnew digital domestic abuse training for magistrates and legal advisers that began in October 2021 by the Judicial College is complete; whether it is compulsory; and if so, how often (1) magistrates, and (2) legal advisers, must take that training.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress theJudicial College have made with the rollout of new training to address the (1) attitudinal, and (2) behavioural, issues raised in (a) recent caselaw, (b) the Ministry of Justice reportAssessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases, published June 2020,and (c) the provisions of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which took effect in April.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any (1) organisations, or (2)individuals, outside the Judicial College (a) were, or (b) are, involved in the (i) development, or (ii) delivery, of training on domestic abuse for judges and magistrates.

Lord Bellamy: To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice, the Senior President of Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively. These responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College.I understand that the digital training on domestic abuse launched in October 2021 is compulsory training for family judges, magistrates and legal advisers for the 2022-23 training year.New training that addresses the attitudinal and behavioural issues raised in recent caselaw, the Ministry of Justice’s Harm Report and the Domestic Abuse Act, was launched in April 2022 and forms a substantial part of compulsory continuation training for family and civil judges.The judiciary, supported by professional staff in the Judicial College, are responsible for the design, content, and delivery of judicial training. In developing domestic abuse training, the College drew on external expertise and resources as appropriate. The training programme and training requirements are reviewed regularly.

Probate

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the time taken to issue grants of probate.

Lord Bellamy: Average waiting times for probate grants, from July 2019 to December 2021, are published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly (Table 25) and shown on the attached table:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-court-statistics-quarterly.Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by the Probate Service during the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a result of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) increasing resources to meet demand, the average length of time taken for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required has been maintained at between four and seven weeks.HL663 Table 1 (xlsx, 18.9KB)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ukraine: Cereals

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with (1) the government of the United States, and (2) the EU, to encourage the government of Russia to re-open shipping lanes in the Black Sea to allow for Ukrainian grain to be exported.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are offering to Ukraine to increase its (1) land, or (2) river-based, exporting infrastructure to assist in getting grain out of that country.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are offering the EU as they attempt to institute solidarity lanes and ease (1) export, and (2) import, routes for Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated one of the most severe food and energy crises in recent history. Russia bears responsibility for preventing Ukraine from exporting its food and playing its role as the breadbasket of the world. Russia's bombardment of cities and infrastructure across Ukraine, its blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports and its attacks on farmers and their farms have crippled Ukraine's ability to export its produce. It is Putin's responsibility to lift this blockade. We are working with Ukraine, the UN, the G7 and the wider international community to explore the best solutions, whether by road, rail, river or sea, to extract the 25 million tons of grain stuck in Ukraine.

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government which (1) Heads of State, (2) Prime Ministers, and (3) Presidents, have written to the Foreign Secretary about the Government's proposal to disapply certain parts of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 17 May, the UK has been in discussions with the EU for 18 months to find a negotiated solution that will deliver on the objectives of the Protocol. In recent months, the Foreign Secretary and FCDO ministers have discussed our shared response to Russia/Ukraine, building closer economic and security relations as well as UK concerns with the NIP with EU Member States' governments. Those exchanges continue.

West Bank: Palestinians

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to protect access to water for Palestinians in the West Bank.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has raised the issue of access to water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, including stressing the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 May (HL Deb col 1011) regarding evacuation from Afghanistan, how many evacuations and resettlements from Afghanistan to the UK have occurred; how many people are awaiting resettlement in camps in Pakistan and Iran; how many of these people are from at-risk minority groups; and what permanent resettlement assistance is being provided by other countries, including those in the Gulf and Central Asia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: During and since the evacuation from Afghanistan in August last year, around 20,000 people have been brought to safety, including British Nationals and their families, Afghans who loyally served the UK and others identified as particularly at risk. According to UNHCR there are currently just over 2 million registered refugees from Afghanistan in Pakistan and Iran. Very few of these refugees are eligible to come to the UK. Under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, UNHCR can refer some Afghan refugees to the UK for resettlement. There are currently over 800 Afghan citizens assessed as provisionally eligible to come to the UK who the Government is supporting in third countries while they await clearance to come to the UK. We do not collect comprehensive data on the minority status of eligible individuals. The Government is grateful to countries providing shelter for refugees and assisting the UK in helping eligible Afghans come to the UK.

Russia: Freezing of Assets

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 30 May (HL266), what assessment they have made of whether frozen Russian assets released by a licence from the Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation are likely to be redeployed for(1) humanitarian, and (2) reconstruction, purposes, in eastern Europe including Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: An asset freeze requires that all funds and economic resources belonging to, held or controlled by a designated person are frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them. The release of frozen assets may be legally granted with a licence from the Treasury's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) under specific circumstances and for specific purposes, as set out in the regulations. The UK along with our allies will continue to put more pressure on Putin's regime until he withdraws his troops and ends this unjust war. Nothing and no one is off the table.

Odeh Mohammad Odeh Sadaqa

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel, if any, about the reported fatal shooting of Odeh Mohammad Odeh Sadaqa by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We regularly raise the issue of the high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.

Israel: Palestinians

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 30 May (HL275),whether they have haddiscussions with the government of Israel regarding the international law implications of evictions of Palestinian residents from Masafer Yatta; and if they have not, whether they will now do so.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As previously stated, the UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.

Venezuela: Embassies

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Venezuela regarding the removal of any illegal squatters from outside that country's (1) Embassy, and (2) Consulate, buildings in London.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: No concern has been raised with us by the Venezuelan authorities about illegal squatters in the Venezuelan Embassy or Consulate building in London.

Nicolas Maduro

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase sanctions on individuals associated with Nicolas Maduro.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: UK sanctions are helping to encourage democratic change by keeping pressure on the illegitimate Maduro regime, targeting illicit finance, and calling out human rights abuses. We do not speculate on future listings.

Venezuela: Refugees

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what aid they are providing to those fleeing Venezuela.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is extremely concerned by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Since 2019, Her Majesty's Government has spent £37 million in humanitarian aid in response to the Venezuelan crisis, focusing on health, nutrition, and water and sanitation, both inside Venezuela, and with refugees in countries in the region. Due to the devastating impact of the pandemic on the UK's economy and resulting ODA cuts, the UK is not funding substantial new bilateral humanitarian programmes in response to the Venezuela crisis.

Nicolas Maduro

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to assist the International Criminal Court to ensure the Rome Statute is upheld with regards to the cases against Nicolas Maduro.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK respects the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC). As an ICC State Party, the UK can provide assistance in response to requests for assistance or cooperation from the Court pursuant to Part 9 of the Rome Statute. However, we have not yet received any such requests in relation to this situation.

Venezuela: UN Human Rights Council

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to seek the expulsion of Venezuela from the United Nations Human Rights Council due to that country's human rights record.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK has been clear about our human rights concerns in Venezuela. Reports on the situation by the UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission have been deeply worrying, suggesting very serious human rights violations are being carried out with the support of regime leaders, senior military officers and officials. The UK actively promotes and supports human rights in Venezuela through our engagement and projects.The UK is clear that all members of the Council should uphold the high standards expected of them and demonstrate respect for the principle of universal human rights in their actions.

Eritrea: Human Rights

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will campaign for the adoption of a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council’s 50th session that (1) extends the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, (2) describes and condemns human rights violations in Eritrea, and (3) sets benchmarks for improvement.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Eritrea remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the UK. As in previous years, we will work with likeminded partners - particularly the EU as penholders of the resolution - to ensure the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea is extended at the upcoming 50th session of the Human Rights Council via a robust and credible resolution. We fully support the work of the Special Rapporteur and welcome both his report and his establishment of a set of human rights benchmarks for Eritrea to meet in order to show improvement.At the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur the UK urged Eritrea to prioritise National Service reform; release all those in arbitrary detention; guarantee freedom of religion or belief for all faiths; and protect freedom of expression. We also continue to call on the Government of Eritrea to 1) allow the Special Rapporteur to visit Eritrea and cooperate fully with his mandate, 2) engage and cooperate fully with the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts in Ethiopia, established by the Human Rights Council at the 33rd Special Session on 17 December 2021 to investigate human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in Ethiopia, and 3) engage constructively with the recommendations of the 3 November 2021 UN-Ethiopian Human Rights Commission joint investigation report.

Ministry of Defence

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for (1) speeding up delivery of F-35Bs, and (2) training more (a) pilots, and (b) ground crew.

Baroness Goldie: I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to him on 30 March 2022 to Question HL7316.Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft Procurement (docx, 14.0KB)

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they still plan to form four F-35B squadrons; and if so, how many of those will have Royal Air Force squadron designation and how many will have Royal Navy squadron designation.

Baroness Goldie: The Lightning Force will be formed of five Squadrons, jointly crewed by Royal Navy and RAF personnel. Three Squadrons have been designated RAF (617 (The Dambusters) Sqn, 207 Sqn (Operational Conversion Unit, and 17 Sqn (Test & Evaluation)), and one Royal Navy (809 Naval Air Sqn). The final one has yet to be considered for a Squadron designation.

Aircraft Carriers: Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the UK will be able to deploy a carrier with its (1) designated, and (2) planned for, load of 36 F-35B UK aircraft, plus helicopters.

Baroness Goldie: The composition and size of the embarked air group in a deploying Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) carrier will be tailored to meet the operational requirement.The QEC carriers have been designed to be able to embark 40 aircraft, a mix of fixed wing and rotary wing.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the 26 aircraft in the second tranche of F-35B will be ordered; and when the last is forecasted to be delivered.

Baroness Goldie: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin) in the House of Commons on 19 May 2022 to Question 1104 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (Mr Healey).Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft Procurement (docx, 13.8KB)

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft: Procurement

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government when is the delivery date for the last of the 48 jets presently on order.

Baroness Goldie: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin) in the House of Commons on 18 May 2022 to Question 1103 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (Mr Healey).Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft Procurement (docx, 14.6KB)

Future Combat Air System

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Tempest squadrons (1) will be flown by the Royal Air Force, and (2) will have Royal Air Force squadron designations.

Baroness Goldie: We are developing concepts for a Future Combat Air System (FCAS), to be operated by the RAF. FCAS is intended to replace the capabilities provided by our Typhoon aircraft, as set out in the Integrated Review. As such, any decisions on squadron designations will not need to be taken until later in the next decade.

Department for Work and Pensions

Payment Exception Service

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have signed up to the Payment Exception Service.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Department can confirm that there were 68,546 active Payment Exception Service records at the end of April. These are records that received a payment during April.

Payment Exception Service: Telephone Services

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average timefor calls to be answered by the Payment Exception Service helpline since the beginning of this year; and what is the target time for answering calls to the Payment Exception Service helpline.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The average time for calls to be answered is 10:32 minutes. This average is taken from calls received by the helpline between January until end of April. The latest in month average for April was 6:52 minutes. The Payment Exception Service helpline is managed by a supplier who do not contractually have a call target time, however each month the customer response times are reviewed taking into account both the nature of the customer call and ways to improve responses for customers.

Payment Exception Service

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the new Payment Exception Service for those who can no longer receive payment via the Post Office card.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Payment Exception Service is not actively promoted. The department policy is to pay claimants and pension recipients directly into a transactional account of their choice such as a bank account, building society account, credit union account, internet-based account, or a basic bank account.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to publish a new Food Strategy.

Lord Benyon: We published the Government food strategy on Monday 13 June, setting out a plan to transform our food system to ensure it is fit for the future. The Government food strategy is available here: Government food strategy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and is also attached to this answer.Government food strategy (pdf, 304.5KB)

Food: Pesticides

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) reduce, or (2) end, the exposure of UK consumers to pesticides in food.

Lord Benyon: The UK is a world leader in developing greener farming practices and upholds the highest standards of environmental and health protection. Our pesticides regulations set strict controls on the amounts of pesticide residues that are permitted in food to ensure the safety of consumers. In Great Britain, regulations require the setting of a maximum residue level (MRL), which is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue in or on food or feed that is legally tolerated. We have an ongoing monitoring programme to ensure that food complies with the statutory MRLs allowed. MRLs are always set below, and usually well below, the level considered to be safe for consumers. Defra’s National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides, due to be published later this year, will set out proposals to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment. In parallel, we are progressing existing policies and work areas to reduce pesticide use, such as our plan for the introduction of the Integrated Pest Management standard into the Sustainable Farming Incentives scheme in 2023.

Home Office

Asylum: Rwanda

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the transfer of asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda could undermine efforts to establish bilateral return and readmission agreements with Council of Europe member states.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We remain fully committed to the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda. Any person who has arrived in the UK illegally, or by dangerous or unnecessary methods from safe countries since 1 January 2022, will be considered for relocation to Rwanda.The Joint Political Declaration between the EU and UK agreed in December 2020 noted the UK’s intention to engage in bilateral discussions with the most concerned Member States to discuss suitable practical arrangements, including on asylum and illegal migration. These discussions are continuing and the partnership with Rwanda does not change this. We are determined to send a clear signal that it is unacceptable for individuals to travel through multiple safe countries to claim asylum in the UK. Those who fear persecution should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – this is the fastest route to safety.

Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre: Females

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women have been detained at the Derwentside immigration removal centre since it opened on 28 December 2021.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women have been released into the community from the Derwentside immigration removal centre sinceit opened on 28 December 2021; and what support has been provided to help them access suitable accommodation.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women have been deported from the UK after residing at the Derwentside immigration removal centre.

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many in-person legal visits have taken place at Derwentside immigration removal centre since women were first detained there.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office publishes statistics on immigration detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release ’. This includes data on people:Entering detention by initial place of detention in table Det_02a of the ‘Detention summary tables. (attached)Leaving detention by last place of detention published in the table Det_04c of the ‘Detention summary table’s and by reason for leaving detention. (attached)Det_D03 of the ‘detention detailed datasets’. (attached)In detention by current place of detention in table Det_03a of the ‘Detention summary tables. (attached)Data on those entering detention, by place of detention, relate to the place of initial detention. Data on ‘in detention’ refers to the number of people in detention at the end of the period. An individual who moves from one part of the detention estate to another will not be counted as entering any subsequent place of detention. Last place of detention does not show where an individual spent their time in detention. In some cases, an individual may have spent a period of time detained elsewhere before being moved to their last place of detention.Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute can make an application for support and accommodation whilst their application for asylum is being considered. All asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help, where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information about how to obtain further support.Detained individuals are advised of their right to legal representation, and how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an Immigration Removal Centre (IRC).The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) operates free legal advice surgeries in IRCs in England. Individuals who are detained are entitled to receive up to 30 minutes of advice regardless of financial eligibility or the merits of their case. There is no restriction on the number of surgeries an individual may attend. If an individual who is detained requires substantive advice on a matter which is in scope of legal aid, full legal advice can be provided if the statutory legal aid means and merits criteria are met.At Derwentside IRC there has been 6 in-person legal visits between 28 December 2021 and 7 June 2022. Legal visits can take place from legal providers attending under the Legal Aid Detained Duty Advice Scheme and other legal providers visiting their clients who are in detention. In line with Government advice on social distancing, during the pandemic, face to face legal visits were facilitated in exceptional circumstances, and only if other means of contact (Skype, telephone, email) were not feasible or appropriate. In light of changes to Government guidance, face to face legal visits can now be facilitated. Safe systems of work are in place to ensure the safety of detained individuals, onsite staff and visitors during these visits.Detention summary tables (xlsx, 77.8KB)

British Nationality: Children

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 26 May (HLWS61),what steps they are taking to ensure that all local authorities are made aware of the fee exception.

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 May (HLWS61),whether and when they will publish their assessment of children’s best interests in relation to children’s statutory rights to British citizenship that underpins the review fees.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Answer to HL637:Local Authorities were notified of the introduction of a fee exception in the Local Government Bulletin issued on 27 May by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.The Home Office is continuing to reach out to a wide range of organisations who have an interest in the fee exception and waiver to notify them of their introduction.Answer to HL638:There are no plans to publish the assessment of the children’s best interests in relation to the child registration fee. The Written Statement provided a summary of the conclusions of that assessment, outlining why the Home Office has opted for the specific approach of a waiver and exception.

Immigration: Appeals

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average time between a judgment being made by the First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and implementation of that judgment by the Home Office, in each of the past five years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The requested information cannot be accurately extracted from our internal systems. To provide this information would require a manual trawl of successful appeals and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.Where an appeal has been allowed in favour of the appellant, and is not subject to onward appeal, we take all reasonable steps to implement the allowed appeal in a timely manner.

Undocumented Migrants: Repatriation

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are seeking to co-operate with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on assisted voluntary return and reintegration of irregular migrants; and, if so, what form such co-operation would take.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office works with a wide range of stakeholders on a co-operative basis, ensuring that they are aware of the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) and its offer, and how to ensure interested members of the community can apply. IOM is one of many such organisations which we engage with on a regular basis. Separate to the VRS, the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) offers all foreign national offenders with a determinate prison sentence the opportunity to volunteer to return to their country of origin. Under separate arrangements set out in policy, the Home Office also provides financial assistance to certain groups of migrants to assist with reintegration in their country of origin after departure from the UK. IOM assist in the capacity of some post-arrival reception services linked to and outside of the FRS scheme.

Migrants and Refugees

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what incentives they will provide to (1) local government, and (2) private operators, to improve thequality of provision for refugees and migrants.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government provides funding to enable local authorities, schools, health partners and Strategic Migration Partnerships to provide vulnerable refugees with a safe environment in which to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into society. The support that we provide includes language training, skills development and work placements to help integration into UK society. We expect the highest standards from our asylum accommodation providers, our Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts (AASC) have a robust performance management system, against which providers are expected to deliver.

Aviation: Migrant Workers

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to give EU aviation workers special visas.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Our immigration system is based on judging people by their skills and talents, not where there passport is from, such a proposal would be in conflict with this so will not be considered. We note similar issues with recruitment are being reported at Airports within the EU, which indicate this would also be an ineffective approach compared to focusing on other issues affecting recruitment in the sector, including pay and conditions. Operational matters relating to airport operations should be referred to the Department for Transport.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Refugees: Ukraine

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugees from Ukraine they estimate will have come to the UK by the end of 2022; and what public and private partnerships they have encouraged to provide (1) homes, (2) apprenticeships, (3) jobs, and (4) school education, to such refugees.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The Homes for Ukraine is an uncapped humanitarian sponsorship pathway, a route to the UK for Ukrainians who may not have family ties here but are matched with individuals who can provide accommodation for at least six months. Data on arrivals can be found (attached) via www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukraine-family-scheme-application-data/ukraine-family-scheme-and-ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-homes-for-ukraine-visa-data--2 Guidance about the various support mechanisms and full access to public services including healthcare, education, work and benefits etc. can be found (attached) via https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-scheme-frequently-asked-questions#sponsors and (attached) www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils#role-of-councils The Homes for Ukraine scheme relies on close working between government, local government, the voluntary sector, and faith/Ukrainian representative organisations. We have been engaging with local government and other partners through a number of different conversations and working groups to date. Frequently Asked questions (pdf, 357.1KB)Guidance for council (pdf, 436.3KB)Ukraine family and sponsorship scheme (pdf, 120.7KB)

Cabinet Office

UK Trade with EU

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of British businesses that have stopped trading with the EU since 1 January 2021.

Lord True: A response to the noble Lord’s Parliamentary Question of 6 June is below and attached.Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National StatisticianThe Lord BirtHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW17 June 2022Dear Lord Birt,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the percentage of British businesses that have stopped trading with the EU since 1 January 2021 (HL603).Unfortunately, the Office for National Statistics does not hold or publish data on the percentage of British businesses that have stopped trading with the EU since 1 January 2021.Through the Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS), however, we do collect some data on the changes businesses have made to how and where they import and export since 1 January 2021.Estimates from early May 2022 show that 4% of trading exporting businesses changed from exporting their goods and services to EU countries to nations from outside the EU. The percentage of trading importing businesses who changed from importing from within the EU to outside the EU was 2%. Table 1 provides the estimates from BICS at the start of 2021 and May 2022, where we asked businesses that have exported or imported in the last 12 months if they have changed where they have exported/imported goods or services to in the last three months.[1]In early March 2022, estimates from BICS show that 7% of businesses made changes to supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period. Table 2 provides the time series from BICS, where we asked businesses if they made changes to supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period.The UK leaving the EU and the subsequent transition period, along with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, global recession and supply chain disruption, have caused higher levels of volatility in trade statistics in the past two years. We have investigated the impacts of EU exit and COVID-19 on UK trade in goods [2] and UK trade in services [3] in recent articles, and have also examined the extent to which supply chains have shifted following theend of the EU exit transition period in UK trade in goods, year in review: 2021. [4]However, it continues to be difficult to assess the extent to which trade movements reflect short-term trade disruption or longer-term supply chain adjustments. Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond  Table 1: Have you changed where you have exported/imported your goods or services to in the last three months?Percentage of businesses currently trading and have exported or imported in last 12 months, weighted by count, UK, 8 February 2021 to 15 May 2022 Reference periodChanged from EU to non-EUChanged from non-EU to EU [5]No Changes MadeNot SureExporting businesses8 February to 21 February 20212.1%[c]93.1%4.3% 3 May to 15 May 20224.2%1.0%92.5%2.3%Importing businesses8 February to 21 February 20211.7%1.2%95.2%2.5% 3 May to 15 May 20221.6%[c]91.6%5.9%Source: Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) [6]  Table 2: Has your business made changes to supply chains due to the end of the EU transition period?Percentage of businesses not permanently stopped, weighted by count, UK, 22 March 2021 to 20 March 2022Reference PeriodYesNoNot SureNot applicable22 March to 4 April 20213.7%59.6%4.6%32.1%5 April to 18 April 20214.3%57.0%4.2%34.5%19 April to 2 May 20213.8%56.8%5.3%34.1%3 May to 16 May 20213.7%56.9%3.8%35.6%17 May to 30 May 20213.6%47.1%5.1%44.2%31 May to 13 June 20214.0%51.1%4.2%40.6%14 June to 27 June 20214.5%45.0%5.1%45.3%12 July to 25 July 20214.3%36.3%6.7%52.7%9 August to 22 August 20214.1%40.4%6.4%49.0%6 September to 19 September 20214.4%39.2%6.7%49.7%18 October to 31 October 20214.9%48.8%5.2%41.2%15 November to 28 November 20215.0%51.6%5.0%38.5%13 December to 26 December 20214.7%48.3%4.9%42.1%10 January to 23 January 20224.7%41.0%6.0%48.2%7 February to 20 February 20224.7%43.4%5.6%46.3%7 March to 20 March 20226.6%47.8%4.5%41.1% Source: Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) 1 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/datasets/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomy2 https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/internationaltrade/articles/theimpactsofeuexitandthecoronavirusonuktradeingoods/2021-05-253 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/articles/theimpactsofeuexitandcoronaviruscovid19onuktradeinservices/latest4 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/articles/uktradeingoodsyearinreview/20215 [c] represents data that has been removed for confidentiality reasons, such as percentages less than 1%.6 Further time periods are available: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/output/datasets/businessinsightsandimpactontheukeconomyUKSA response to HL603 (pdf, 136.6KB)

Treasury

Cash Dispensing

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Penn on 26 May, what steps are they taking to ensure that banks do not withdraw ATMs before the proposed powers in the Financial Services and Markets Bill come into effect.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with retail banks about the importance of ATMs to communities; and what responses they have received from the retail banking sector, if any.

Baroness Penn: As the Noble Lord is aware, the Government has confirmed that it will legislate to protect access to cash as part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill. Further to the answer given on 26 May, I would also highlight that the FCA published guidance in September 2020 setting out its expectations of firms when they are deciding to reduce their physical branches or the number of free-to-use ATMs. On 23 February 2022, the FCA published best practice feedback for firms that are intending to close bank branches or ATMs to give firms greater clarity on FCA expectations with regards to the quality of analysis and consideration of customer needs. The FCA also shared areas that it expects to see improvements in to ensure closure decisions are taken in a way that treats customers fairly. With regards to engagement, Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on the gov.uk website.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Standing Orders

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker,  further to the Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 14 June (HL810), whether he will place a marked up copy of the new Companion to the Standing Orders in the Library of the House highlighting the changes proposed to date since the last edition.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Following the debate on Thursday 16 June I approved the publication of the complete draft text of the new edition of the Companion to the Standing Orders. This can be viewed at https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/house-of-lords-publications/rules-and-guides-for-business/companion-to-the-standing-orders/. I have also instructed staff to place copies of all papers considered by the Procedure and Privileges Committee while preparing the latest edition in the Library of the House.

Women and Equalities

UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will benominating someone for next year’s elections to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: The next election for members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women will take place later this month. The Government has not put forward a candidate. The election after this will be in 2024 and the Government will decide nearer the time whether to nominate a candidate.